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2 Hall cities set for contested races as qualifying ended Friday

From staff reports

Updated:
Sept. 2, 2011, 9:51 p.m.

Voters can look forward to some contested races in November after multiple candidates qualified Friday for seats on the city councils in Flowery Branch and Clermont.

In Flowery Branch on Friday, Damon Gibbs, special purpose local option sales tax coordinator for Hall County Schools, qualified to run against incumbent Amanda Swafford for Post 1.

Mary Jones, who previously served on the council, qualified Friday to run for Post 2 against incumbent Chris Fetterman, who qualified Thursday.

In Clermont, incumbents John Brady and Seth Weaver qualified to run for their at-large seats. Donna Reeves qualified for the third seat, which has been held by her son, Albert Reeves, who is moving out of the city. Debra Armour also qualified. With at-large seats, the election goes to the top three vote-getters overall.

Qualifying ended Wednesday for other cities in Hall.

In Gainesville, local businesswoman Debra Harkrider qualified to run against incumbent Bob Hamrick for Ward 2 on the City Council.

In the other seats on the ballot, only the incumbents qualified: Myrtle Figueras, Ward 3, and Ruth Bruner, Ward 5, for City Council; and Maria Calkins, Ward 2, Willie Mitchell, Ward 3, and Sammy Smith, Ward 5, for Gainesville City Schools Board of Education.

In Oakwood, Todd Wilson and Rogers Puckett qualified for Post 3, held by incumbent Gary Anderson, who has decided not to seek re-election. Incumbents Martha Collins, Post 4, and Montie Robinson, Post 5, also qualified for their seats.

In Lula, Veneda Simonelli qualified to run against incumbent Larry Shuler for the Post 1 seat. Norman Harrop and incumbent Lamb Griffin qualified for posts 4 and 5, respectively.

In Gillsville, Jeffrey Dale qualified to run for Post 3, Herbert Segars qualified for Post 4 and no one qualified for Post 5 by the time qualifying ended there Wednesday.